Illuminated sign.



CHARLES A.

IMQNEAL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

ILLUMINATED SIGN Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application filed May 14, 1917. Serial No. 188,435.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MONEAL, a citizen of the United States, resident of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohi0,'have made a certain new and useful Invention in Illuminated Signs; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of'this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view of the sign.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

The invention has relation to illuminated signs, having for its object to light the background of a sign and the letters or design, from the rays of the same lamp or lamps, in contrasting colors. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, which is designed primarily for an exteriorly lighted sign, the numeral 2 designates a portion of a sign, including the letters S and T, formed usually by disk reflectors 3, struck outwardly from the sheet metal of said face plate and connected to the face plate each by a narrow neck or necks 4, said reflectors set at differcnt angles to said plate, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The illumination is accomplished by lamps or incandescent bulbs 5, 5, located within or at one side of the letters 01' design, and projecting forwardly of the re flectors 3.

The face plate is colored red, blue, green, or other color contrasting to white, as may be desired, the tips 6 of the bulbs being colored to harmonize or correspond with the color of the background or face plate, the sides of said bulbs being left uncolored as usual, the rays of light transmitted to the observer or forwardly from said tips being of the same color as that of the background or face plate, so that the bulbs themselves are not seen, being lost or coalescing in the background.

The disk reflectors are arranged in groups vividly colored lamps are lost or are not seen, and an incoloring of the around the respective lamps or light bulbs, and are set at such angles that the radiating rays of light from the lamps shall be reflected straightforward to the observer. The angles at which the reflectors are set to the face plate will be the same in those reflectors that are equally distant from the lamp, but in those that are more distant, the angular relation to the face plate will be greater than in those nearer. In all of the reflectors the inclination will be toward the amp.

The background being of the same color and tone as the lamp tip, the result is a background, wherein the tense white letter or sign, both lighted from the same lamp or lamps, there being at the same time a great saving in operative expense, as no lamps at all are set in the let ters and fewer lamps are required to illuminate the sign.

The letters are usually white, and the reflectors may be polished metal or faced with porcelain, mercury, or other suitable reflecting material. The tips of the bulbs may be dipped in coloring medium, or colored light transmitting hoods may be used. The background and the lamp tips can be made white and the reflectors and letters colored if desired. a

The following combinations are enabled to be obtained:

1st. A colored transparent lamp tip corresponding in color to that of the back ground of the sign, and reflectors illuminated by the white light from the uncolored side of the lamp and in rear of the colored lamp tip, reflecting the light rays straightforward to the observer, the result being that the letters or design stand out in white light upon a colored background.

2nd. A colored transparent lamp tip of a contrasting color to that of the bac ground, the result being that the lamp stands out as a contrasting spot of color on the background, the letters or design showing in white.

3rd. A colored transparent lamp tip of a color corresponding to that of the background, with the reflectors of a color contrasting to that of the background. The reflectors is accomplished by using mirrored colored glass, or by a thin film of transparent color or paint, over but may a metallic reflector, the effect being to illuniinate the letters or light from the one source of White light;

4th. A colored transparent lamp tip of a color contrasting to that of the background, with vari-colored reflectors.

Other color combinations are possible, but these are sufficient to explain the object of the invention. In the coinbinations outlined hite and black are considered as colors.

The lainps are preferably set in the open spaces in the letters" having open spaces, be set in other suitable places adjacentto the lettersof' the sign.

I claim:

In an illuminated sign, ing a reflecting surface, a source or light forward oi. said face plate, a bulb or globe surrounding the sanie and having tip and side portions, reflectors set in the outline of a letter or design and unequally distant a faceplate hav- Copies of this patentniay be attained tor five cents each, by addressing" the design in van-colored said source ot light,

direct rays from said and grouped around said reflectors having different inclinations With respect to said face plate, toward and facing the source of light, the inclinations Varying according to the distance of the reflector from said light and be'ing decreased in those reflectors that are nearer the light, to reflect the rays incident to corresponding portions of all of the reflectors outwardly in parallel lines, 7 source being transmitted through thetip portion of the bulb froin, in" the rear of to the observer, the tip' and'side portions of the bulb being colored difierently and the reiiectingsuri'ace of said jface plate being colored to harmonize with the color otsaid tip portion andtrans'initting rays of light from said sourceto the observerl In testimony whereof I afliii mysignatiire.

ones. A; iv'iennirn Goinifdissio'zi'er 0'1? Eat'cnte,

Washington, D. G. 

